Garou Mark of the Wolves Ranma Anything Goes
by WFROSE
Summary: Not long after his fateful decision to part ways with his father figure and mentor, Terry Bogard, Rock decided he needed time away from his Uncle to think things through. A chance meeting with Ryoga leads the blonde to Nerima. (Keen! It's been updated!)
1. 'R & R'

Mark of the Wolves/ Ranma 1/2  
  
4 Months ago...  
  
"We have much to do and get you in association with," argued the regally dressed blond man, holding his agitation in check before his new partner. It had been yet a week since Rock Howard parted ways from his former mentor and enemy of the boy's father, Terry Bogard. So even to Kain Heinlan, the adjustment would take time; just he had hoped he could push things faster.   
  
"I'm pretty sure it can wait until I get back, but I need some time for myself to think things through," stated Rock in a calm yet somber tone.   
  
"It's not as if there is much time, do you or do you not want to see your mother soon?" Kain fought back a smirk from forming on his stone cold face, it was a bargaining chip that he could wield over the 16-year-old boy without fear of retaliation, and it always bore results...  
  
"I presume that our search would take time," asked the young man as he turned his back to his uncle, to hide the contempt upon his face for his older blood relative.   
  
"My sister, your mother that is, became reclusive after that day your father..." Heinlan's voice tapered off before continuing, "she will be difficult to track down for the..."   
  
"Then my absence will give you plenty of time to get started," Rock cut him off, turning a hard stare back to his 'partner'. With that, Rock turned to leave the large office.   
  
"Young Howard..." Rock turned just in time to catch something spinning towards his face between his middle and ring finger, "What's this?"   
  
"I had a Checking and savings account established for you. You are now the master of your father's Legacy." Rock couldn't tell if that was a taunt or if his Uncle was sincere in the warning. Rock looked at the Platinum debit/credit card and his mind thought of all the possible reasons his Uncle would give him this.   
  
"I guess this would make it easier for you to keep track of me, is that it... Uncle?"   
  
"Though I would enjoy to know your whereabouts from time to time, that was not the intention. I am your uncle, brother to your mother. It is only right that I have.... some concerns for you, if not an obligation to my older sibling. And know that I am a man who would not lie, especially to you or my sister."   
  
Rock knew he was truthful in that regard. If anything he knew that Kain was a man of his word. Rock nodded in farewell as he opened the white door and exited. Kain Heinlan walked back to his desk and sat softly down in the plush chair furnished with it. The blond maned man's stone face melted in grievance and slight remorse. The boy didn't trust his motives, but at least he knew he could trust his word. Yes the boy's hiatus would be an.... irritable setback, but it was something nonetheless that he couldn't avoid. Kain could wait longer; he had plenty of time to wait. True he lost some of his power when bequeathing what Kain new was rightfully Rock's back to it's true owner, but he could still run matters in preparation, for the time when the Great Geese Howard's Empire would rise even past it's former glory.   
  
Kain pressed a button to his left that activated his intercom to his first personal assistant, "what have you uncovered so far...."   
  
"We have leads on your sister, sir," reported the auburn haired man with a heavy Austrian accent, "but it's becoming painfully apparent that she does not want to be found."   
  
"I'm sure my dear sister took her Husband's death to heart," replied Kain sardonically. Although despite the tone of his voice, he did not know if his sister loved her husband, since he did not know the relationship she had with him.   
  
"We will inform you if our endeavors become more fruitful..."   
  
"Hold, one other task I wish for you to commit resources to, my nephew, I'm almost certain he will refrain from using the card I issued him, so from the time he leaves this estate, I want to know his location at all times. He may not have the best of love for me, but I do concern for his welfare," Kain was already reaching for the button to turn off the phone as the man on the other end replied he understood, when Kain's martial trained senses felt something about his office. He focused his awareness about the room until he felt a slight draft from the other end. Kain had requested that the caretakers of his office leave the window open for circulation, but for some reason he was more than suspicious about it....  
  
"Yup! Just as you said, Obasan gonna try to keep tacks on you," stated Hokutamaru with a big smile plastered across his face while scratching the back of his head.   
  
"That's 'tabs', but thanks, so all that is needed to be done is a diversion from my trail..." Rock thought for a second before inspiration struck him, "here..." "Eh, nani?" asked the young Ninja boy.   
  
"Here's a copy of my signature, get it down thoroughly, and here's a license with my name on it and your picture in case they ask for identification, knock yourself out." "Nan? Oh, I get it!" whispered the Japanese boy with an impish grin on his face.   
  
"Go out and spend as much as you want, just be sure to stay out sight of anyone suspicious."   
  
"This you really do? Mean you could need it at sometime..."   
  
"I'll manage," interrupted Rock with a dismissive wave of his hand, "after all you need newer clothes than I do, defiantly."   
  
"Oh, so you a committeeman, huh?" charged Hokutomaru with mock exasperation.   
  
"That's 'comedian', your English I swear gets worse the longer Andy's been a way from tutoring you, now go get to being a wild Goose, willya?"   
  
The Ninja boy turned around ready to crawl through the tunnel he had dug under the wall, "Just remember, I'll be up training in my usual spot in Japan after gatsu no ni."   
  
"Then I'll meet you there when I make the time," replied Rock. The two boys clasped each other's arms in a warrior's salute before the young shinobi in training departed Rock's presence. All that was left to do was sit back and wait for a day or so while Hokutomaru leads them down a different trail from where he'll be heading.  
  
Not far off in the distance, stood hidden in the shadows a man the size of a bull, dressed in a gray business suit instead of his fighting garments of red cape and mask. He wouldn't alert Kain to this, just yet, but it would be best for him if he took some leave in order to look over the lad.  
  
  
Two and a half months later...  
  
"Leaving already?" asked Hokutomaru as he came down from his hiding space in the trees. Rock had known he was there, that is the reason he walked his Honda in that direction.   
  
"Yes," Replied Rock in American accented Japanese, "I have a little more to do now, besides I am probably distracting you from your training."   
  
"Nonsense, probably stronger with you sparring against me," proclaimed the ninja.   
  
"Nonetheless, there are other things I gotta do, I will see you around."   
  
"One moment," Hokutomaru cautioned as he tossed a card back to Rock. "I don't want this back," stated Rock with a frown.   
  
"It is yours, know how you have been living, kept track of you from time to time," replied the shinobi dryly in disapproval. Rock thought about the cheaper motels and camping out, the music gigs he got at R&B and Jazz clubs, occasionally working at a fast food restaurant.   
  
"Well, it was honest money, this card is something I can do without."   
  
"Just keep it, it's not like you have to use it unless it's an emergency anyhow."   
  
"True enough, take care."   
  
"Until next time, Blondie." Rock Howard revved up the motor of his Honda and rode down the beat down path back to civilization.  
  
  
  
"Where am I now?" asked Ryoga as he stepped onto the cleared path, "Well, at least I'm back on the path again, was I heading this way, or...." The Lost boy heard the rumbling of an engine nearby, and decided it may be a good idea to ask for directions. Ryoga turned around and awaited the approaching motorcycle and started to yell out as the motorcycle sound was almost upon him, "EXCUSE ME, CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE.. URK!"  
  
Rock's hind wheel of his motorcycle collided with the back of Ryoga's head, knocking the lost boy face first into the dirt road. Rock fought for control of his motorcycle before he landed and brought it to a stop, concerned for whom he had just run down deciding to jump that hill.   
  
"Careless," he thought to himself, he wasn't paying attention and now someone's hurting for it, though he couldn't understand why the guy hadn't turned around in time to see him and moved out of the way. Perhaps he's deaf. Checking the back of the boy's head, Rock was amazed that there were no contusions, maybe an egg sized bump that looked almost comical if not for it's seriousness, boy probably had a concussion in the least from as hard as he would have hit him.  
'CURSE YOU RANMA!!!!" The boy shot up in an unholy yell and turned to swing at the nearest fighting aura he felt, automatically assuming it was his rival who had caused him harm. Rock immediately parried the hit, and flipped backwards out of reach.   
  
"YAMETTE!!! STOP!!!!" Rock yelled, switching between Japanese and English frantically since he wasn't in the mood to be in a fight. He could tell now that this guy before him was a fighter, a powerful one at that though he was confident he would win if it came to blows.   
  
"Huh? You're not Ranma," stated Ryoga of the obvious.   
  
"I am sorry, I did not know you were there when I came over the hill," apologized Rock, bowing humbly before the boy and straightened up.   
  
"Eh, it wasn't anything serious, it just caught me by surprise, that's all," Said Ryoga. His anger faded as he looked upon the guy before him, deciding it wasn't all that much of a problem,   
  
"You have an American accent, would it be better if I spoke English?"   
  
Rock was slightly taken aback by the sudden shift in language, and relaxed more now that he could speak in a tongue he was more comfortable with, "You're English is pretty good! Where'd you learn to speak it?"   
  
"Uh, America, ended up there a few times, I couldn't tell you how though," the lost boy said with a slight bit of confusion on his face.  
  
"Um, excuse me, but I hit you kinda hard there, are you positive you're okay?" despite his casualness, Rock was still rather concerned for the other's health, nobody just takes a blow like that to the back of the head and shrugs it off so non-chilantly.   
  
"Oh, yeah I'm fine, I'm a lot tougher than I look, won't give me any problems if that's what you're wondering."   
  
"A lot tougher than you look to be sure," thought Rock. "Anyhow, where you headed to, can I give you a ride back into town, least I can do," asked Rock, gesturing to his parked motorcycle a few paces from them. "Ah, I'm heading to Nerima, I wouldn't want to put you out of your way, if you can just give me directions I'll be more than grateful.."   
  
"I have nothing better to do with my time, and getting you there will just give me one more place to visit, so you're not putting me out of my way."   
  
"Really, I don't want to be a bother."   
  
"Heh, I ran over you and you worry about being a bother to me? You Japanese are too damn polite," stated Rock smugly. "Hurry up and hop on already, we're just wasting time arguing over this. We gotta stop in town first and get directions as our main priority."  
  



	2. 'The Midst'

Mark of the Wolves/ Ranma 1/2  
Quiet Control Chapter 2; 'The Midst'  
  
  
Yesterday evening...  
  
"Hey, you pasty faced clown, did I stutter? Do I have a stuttering problem?"   
  
Hikaru Gosenguki shook his head frantically, waiting for the chance for the six-foot tank of a boy to stop yelling so he may begin groveling for his life.   
  
"Now, when I want something done, it's gonna get done, right? RIGHT YOU VOODOO FREAK? Toma Youru's voice was almost screeching as he yelled. Due to his upbringing and... heritage, he was not accustomed to not getting his way, especially when it came to weird pale faced freaks of nature who believed in idiotic things like magic.   
  
"I don't care WHAT you think this Nabiki girl's gonna do to you, you're gonna worry about what I'M gonna do to you? You got that?"   
  
Hikaru was not a brave person, although there are times he had his moments, this was not going to be one of them. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I-I-I didn't want t-t-toooooo.... RUSH THINGS, that's it!" A lame attempt, but maybe he thought he could stall things and these guys who approached him would get bored and find someone else to harass into doing their dirty work for them. Gosenkugi knew the reason he was picked, he was cowardly and spineless, someone easily threatened into doing another's bidding, he was rather hoping they would find some other spineless kid to mess with.  
  
"Rush things, hmm?" repeated Toma, "I don't think we're 'rushing things', you're saying you don't agree with my timetable you little freak? Maybe I we should introduce you to the way we get things done on time..." The tall boy motioned for two of his associates to approach, one stalky and the other one wirey and cut like a roman statue but not very tall.   
  
"Din, Kaze, why don't you teach him the best way to 'beat' the clock?" Din, the wirey boy who Hikaru can now tell was Chinese in nationality, grew a wicked smile on his face as both him and Kaze approached the scrawny Gosenkugi, popping their knuckles and grinning in an unwholesome fashion.  
  
"Oooh, real tough, three guys picking on a scarecrow..." All four turned to see a pigtailed boy in a red shirt and black pants crouched upon a high chain link fence.   
  
"Oh, so you want to get in this, punk? growled Toma, his patience already at the edge.   
  
"Why, you offering?" Asked Ranma, hopping off the fence and walking toward the quartet. "Hey, Gos, you okay?" Hikaru didn't answer; he was too busy mentally reciting his own final rites.   
  
"So you know this freak? Maybe you'll work better to get our point across, it's best not to damage any of our...employees after all," Toma pointed at Ranma, signaling for his two associates to do not so nice things  
  
2.4 seconds later....  
  
"Wha? Who are you? Toma now asked incredulously as he looked upon the misarranged bodies of Kaze and Din.   
  
"Ranma Soutome of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, remember that next time you wanna pick on someone smaller than you around me!"   
  
"So, you're the infamous Ranma Soutome, you've actually caused my Dad a few headaches, It would be an honor, and a notch on my belt, to kick your all over this lot," Toma took a stance, balanced on the ball of his right foot while his left foot was forward and bouncing on it's own ball, his left knee looking ready to go into action at anytime. His fists hung near his face with his elbows in, bouncing slightly with the rest of his body.   
  
"Mui Tai, eh?" Ranma commented before he went into his own Kempo posture, confident that the fight was already won...  
  
"RANMA!" yelled a singsong voice from above and in front of him. Ranma looked past Toma to see a certain purple haired Amazon on a bike, airborne and on a collision course with someone other than him for once. Shampoo kicked her bike from under her, forcing it to land, hard, on the slightly recovering Kaze and Din, and made her own ten point landing on the back of Toma's head, forcing him bend forward at a strenuous angle with one leg raised back in balance and eat dirt at Ranma's feet.   
  
"Sh-Shampoo, what are you doing here?" Ranma stuttered, a little weary of the rambongous young girl with a hug that could crush a mighty redwood.   
  
"Ranma take Shampoo to date, yes? Shampoo get tickets to too too classic reshowing of 'Drunken Tai Chi Master of the Bunny Fist Shao Lin Hip hop Stockbrokers'!" the amazon pleaded, fluttering her eyes and pouting just a little bit to get the full cute effect going.   
  
"I-uh, that is..." A trio of groans saved Ranma. "Aiya? Who boy under Shampoo feet?" asked Shampoo as she stepped off Toma.   
  
"RANMA SOUTOME!!!" Screeched the boy at the top of his lungs, shooting upright and looking rather livid.   
  
"Uh oh, he's ticked," Ranma thought to himself as he kept his martial arts stance ready.   
  
"I AM GONNA {censored} ACROSS {censored} {double censored} WITH A {censored}..." Ranma plugged his ears as winced at the rather vibrant language that Toma was using, and finally uncovered them when he saw the boy breathing heavy.   
  
"Shampoo not know salad tongs be useful that way," mused Shampoo.  
  
Din and Kaze managed to calm down their nominal leader, Din whispering in his ear an idea he thought of. Toma's face lit up and smiled,   
  
"I have a better idea. RANMA, I CHALLENGE YOU TO A NO HOLDS BARRED MARTIAL ARTS BASKETBALL MATCH!!!! MAKE SURE TO INVITE ALL YOUR FRIENDS TO WITNESS YOUR COMPLETE AND UTTER DEFEAT AT MY HANDS!!!!"   
  
Ranma blinked a few times, still processing the fact that he had been challenged, Shampoo still trying to piece together how kitchen utensils can be used in such excessively violent (yet delightfully kinky sounding) ways.   
  
"Huh? Well then I accept your challenge, just name the time and place and I'll be there to wipe your smug face all over the B-Ball court."   
  
"Heh, he doesn't truly realize who he's dealing with," thought Ranma, a wry grin forming on his face, "I've got this one in the bag..."  
  
  
  
Rock brought his motorcycle to a perfect skidding halt right in front of the Tendou Dojo.   
  
"Well, here we are, in less time than it woulda taken ya walking," stated the blond boy, getting off of his bike and leaning against it. Ryoga calmly got off the bike with no comment or even a sound. Ryoga feared little physically, though his trip with Rock gave him MUCH to fear. Instead of fear, Ryoga felt resigned, at peace in fact, for he must be dead. He did not fear the bike ride; he simply accepted the fact that he was going to die. He needed not scream, or curse, or pray to Gods to let him off, he simply sweet acceptance of eternal bliss.  
  
"Hey, Ryoga? You okay? You look a little pale. And nobodies stayed that quiet riding with me, you sure your head isn't giving you problems?"  
  
"RANMA! QUIT DODGING AROUND AND FIGHT ME!" Ryoga and Rock were both snapped to the attention of a feminine voice screaming in frustration. Ryoga let out a growl and leapt over the wall of the Dojo parameters, leaving Rock blinking in confusion.   
  
"Well, sounds like this may be interesting," Thought Rock to himself as he pushed the gates open further of the Tendou Dojo and walked in  
  
  
  
Ranma dodged to and fro, barely even paying attention to the short haired girl in a karate gi throwing punches and kicks at him, since he was at the time considering some of the moves he saw in the martial arts flick he went to see with Shampoo.   
  
"Hmm, I wonder if I can do that with my fingers too?" he thought to himself, not even acknowledging the sledgehammer blow that flew by his nose.   
  
"RANMA QUIT DODGING AROUND AND FIGHT ME!" Akane screamed, at the peak of her frustration as she stumbled forward after missing her haymaker punch at Ranma's face.   
  
"RANMA! HOW DARE YOU UPSET AKANE! PREPARE TO DIE!"   
  
"Hey! Akane! Look it's P-Chan!" Ranma exclaimed as he just *barely* avoided a punch that put a hole in the training hall floor. "P-Chan, where?" enquired Akane, looking around for her little black piglet. Ranma and Ryoga blocked and traded blows back and forth, in a way that almost seemed like a choreographed fight, Rock walked in upon this and noted with interest.   
  
"Hmm, these two are pretty good," The blond young man thought to himself, "guess it wouldn't be a total loss if I got to spar a bit here."  
  
Akane stopped looking for P-Chan and her face turned livid as she saw Ranma fighting with Ryoga, "Ranma, quit picking on Ryoga!"   
  
The short haired girl started towards the two of them to break them up, just as her's, Rock's, Ranma's, and Ryoga's sense of impending danger alerted them. Ranma and Ryoga both dodged different directions as a trio of razor sharp spatulas landed in the spot they were previously standing.   
  
"RANCHAN, how DARE you take that..that.. HUSSY out on a DATE WHILE YOU'RE ENGAGED TO ME!" "You took WHO on a DATE, RANMA?" Ryoga was almost past all rationality at that point as he ferally leapt at Ranma to renew their battle. Alas Ryoga would not be able to continue immediately as a bonbori mace slammed into the back of his head.   
  
"I can see why he can take a bike to the back of the head going at 150 Kph," thought Rock as he watched the purple haired Amazon bounce towards the boy they all called Ranma.   
  
"Ranma, you take Shampoo on date again tonight, yes? Great-Grandma give Shampoo tickets to 'Orthodontist's fist of Justice: Fighters of leather clad Goddess of Truth'!"   
  
"HEY! Last night weren't no date or anything, we just went to see a movie, that's all!" protested Ranma as he was forced to dodge out of the way of a large spatula.   
  
"You BIMBO! Keep away from Ranchan! He's MY Fiancee!" proclaimed Ukyo as she dove after Shampoo and wrestled her to the ground.   
  
"Who spatula girl calling bimbo? Airen belong to Shampoo!"  
  
"Ranma?" Ranma notably froze up at the tone of Akane's voice, "so, that's where you were yesterday? You were on A DATE WITH SHAMPOO?"   
  
"AKANE! I said it wasn't a date! We just went to see a movie!"   
  
"In some circles, that's called a 'date', Soutome," Said a sardonic voice from behind Rock. Rock turned to see a slender and attractively built girl not much older than him with a helmet style haircut. The Blond young man scooted a bit of a distance from her, his usual nervousness around women taking over.  
  
Ranma froze like the proverbial dear in headlights, trying to get his mouth to form a coherent alibi before he was kissing the sky; Rock grew slightly concerned at the look of fury that was on the girl called Akane's face.   
  
"She looks like she really wants to hurt him!" he thought to himself, then felt the massive battle aura that formed around the girl, confirming his suspicions.   
  
"RANMA! YOU JERK!" Akane screamed, her fist screaming towards Ranma's face, about to catch him on guard. The pig tailed martial artist saw it coming and closed his eyes awaiting the inevitable....  
  
The whole room froze and gasped at what just happened, Ranma himself opened his eyes when he noticed he wasn't airborne at the moment, and saw some blond haired foreigner holding Akane's fist securely, just millimeters away from Ranma's own face. Now, there are two things you should never do around Akane; #1, never be the target of Akane's wrath, #2, never interrupt Akane's wrath. The shorthaired girl's battle aura flared even further than before, eyeing this... this.... boy, who dared interrupt her from giving Ranma what he deserved.   
  
"Oh man, better you than me, pal," said Ranma with not a little bit of worry in his voice.   
  
"Akane's gonna KILL him," whispered Ukyo, who was still in a grapple with Shampoo, Shampoo only nodded in silent and concerned approval.   
  
Akane's other fist came up to Rock's face, only for Rock to let go of the hand he was holding and shift that same hand over to catch the other fist. Akane then again tried to punch with the left fist at the blond boy, only to be parried away with Rock's right wrist. Akane tried a heavy roundhouse, which was blocked by Rock, who didn't even stagger from the blow. Then came the flurry of attacks at Rock, who calmly blocked and parried all of them, not dodging once or budging an inch from his spot.  
  
"Wow," Shampoo said with no little hint of wonder, "he good."   
  
"I'll say, Sugar," replied Ukyo. Both Ranma and Ryoga were speechless over the fact that this boy wasn't so much paste at the moment, while Nabiki looked upon studiently. Rock stayed dispassionate as he studied the girl who was probably the same age as him. She was powerful, she had good form, kempo and karate, but she is letting her anger control her, and she means to harm him dearly. He thought to himself, and decided it was about time to put her in her place.  
  
::WHAM::  
  
Akane sailed to the other side of the dojo and slammed into the wall, cracking it a bit with her impact. Akane slumped down onto her knees, trying to regain her breath. Even over her wheezing, Nabiki, Ukyo, and Shampoo were heard gasping at the fact that ANYONE had actually hit Akane back, a BOY no less. Rock stood calmly and stoically with a stare that could bore holes in steel, his attention was suddenly pulled to the sound to two male growls behind him...  



	3. 'Fatal Fury'

Mark of the Wolves/ Ranma 1/2  
Quiet Control Chapter 3  
"The Mindset"  
  
  
"What's this you got going?" Enquired Terry as he looked over Rock's shoulder. Young Howard turned a look of distain towards his guardian for the invasion of his privacy, to which Terry backed up waving his hands in a defensive manner.   
  
"Hey! If it's that important to ya...."   
  
Rock just let out a sigh as he turned away from the laptop given to him by his adoptive Uncle and Aunt, "It's nothing, just playing chess against some guys online."   
  
"Ah, sounds fun..." replied Terry, before he caught note of what his young charge just said, "you say 'guys'?"   
  
"Uh, yeah, my Dad.... um, I was taught to play chess since I was told that it would help better organize how I think," Stated Rock, oblivious to the true question the older Bogard brother was asking.   
  
"How many games you got going right now?" asked Terry, deciding on the direct approach.   
  
"Four, if you include the one I just won."   
  
"Just won? I take it the guy wasn't that good? Huh," enquired Terry, still prodding for more info.   
  
"He wasn't bad, some guy Southern Germany a bit older than you."   
  
"I take it these arn't speed Chess matches," Terry asked as Rock switched to another chess window and made a move almost immidiatly after surveying the board.   
  
"Nope, though I don't see the point in waiting all day for a move," stated Rock as he switched to another window and made his move on that, which was immidiatly followed with a "Check" banner.   
  
"Don't this get confusing? I mean four games is a little much at once."   
  
Rock just turned back to Terry with a slightly puzzled look, which he relaxed before replying, "Not really, kinda got used to it after a while when I was still living with Da... with him."  
  
Terry considered this thoroughly and decided that it may be interesting to test this 12 year old boy's ability, "Well, we're gonna need to start training here in a bit, now that we've fattened ourselves up from Christmas Dinner here. Why don't I go see if I can get May and my brother to work with us?" Rock nodded and turned back towards the online chess games, oblivious to what Terry had planned...  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Akane would have gasped if she could, but she was still fighting to get her breath back from having the wind knocked from her. She had never recieved that stare before from anyone, not even Kodachi or Cologne could make it seem so hard and harsh. Rock's glare was completely that of no tolerance, yet she could tell by the blow that he was in complete control of his power, and knew how hard she could be hit. For once in her life, Akane was shown the meaning of restraint before Fury.  
  
Before he thought about it, Rock pulled his right shoulder foward, allowing a punch by Ryoga from behind to glide past him, than ducked and rolled to his left as Ranma's flying Dragon Stamp kick barely missed the small of his back. Rock vaulted himself immidiatly to his feet and instantly assessed the abilities of the fighters who were recovering from their missed blows and aggressing towards him.   
  
Rock saw them both tense for another attack, but knew that the one with the yellow and black striped bandanna would be the one to attack first, sure enough not to dissapoint, Ryoga brought forth another haymaker that Rock was forced to duck under, the blow looked heavy, and even though Rock could block it, he would be put too far off balance for an attack from the one called Ranma.   
  
Rock sensed a presence behind him and spun on his axis as a series of lightning fast blows were forced to graze around Rock, and force Ranma into Ryoga's path. Ryoga staggered a bit from Ranma's Kachu Teshen Amaguriken technique, as Ranma looked slightly flustered from missing his attack and turned around to follow where the blond haired foreigner was.   
  
Ranma almost missed Rock leaping over him and turning his foward air summersault into a half gator as he swung his right leg down in a jacknife, catching Ryoga in the top of his head and sending him flat onto the ground. Ranma was attempting to leap back to get some boxing range distance between him and Rock, but as he was leaning back, the other young man moved as quick as Ranma was able to, leaning forward and grabbing Ranma's ankle. Ranma saw an opening and attempted a jacknife himself with his free leg, but felt himself snapped into the air like a whip.   
  
The pig tailed martial artist attempted to regain his bearings in the air, but the way he was thrown left him no possible way of doing so, something about the technique that made it that way. Rock Howard drew his arms in a wide circle as if drawing a yin-yang sign as Ranma landed on the small of his back and neck from an arc that allowed little of the shock to be lost as Ranma rolled with the fall as much as he could, finding it did little to relieve himself of the pain of landing so unceremoniously.  
  
Rock *almost* relaxed a bit before he anticipated the sound of six flat shaped objects cutting through the air to the left of him and darted quickly backwards as six razor sharp spatula made thunking sounds as they stuck into the wooden Dojo floor. The girl with the spatula was talking way too fast in Japanese for Rock to understand her, but knew it was obviously a threat as he braced himself for another opponent....  
  
"You, You! HOW DARE YOU TREAT MY RANCHAN THAT WAY!" Yelled Ukyo as she lept after Rock with her battle spatula raised to flatten it's target. "He actually flattened Ryoga AND Ranchan without breaking a sweat," thought Ukyo to herself, "if he's good enough to do that..."  
  
Ukyo's spatula decended after Rock, and the Blond boy dashed in closer to Ukyo at the last second, maneuvering into her guard where her spatula's range would be a hinderance and shoulder charged her. Instead of Ukyo going backwards so she could recover from the charge, to her dismay she felt herself being carried upwards into the sky, blows being rained upon her as if she was in a blender with the blades blunted.   
  
Shampoo came out of her daze from watching the yellow haired boy perform a move she had only seen a few times before, the one her great grandmother called with no little amout of respect "the Raising Tackle", and brought forth her bonbori maces for her turn, as strong as this boy was, she could not let him get away with harming her beloved.  
  
Rock barely recovered from the landing of his Rising Tackle when he heard the battle cry. Rock turned and ducked a colorful spherical object heading for his head, then faded to his left as another identical one came rushing at his chin in and uppercut motion. Finding himself forced back to the right and realized he was being maneuvered to go straight back, no doubt into a wall. Rock felt his heel tap against the back of the Dojo wall as he saw an unhealthy (for his benefit) gleam in the purple haired girl's eye as she sent a bonbori straight at his chest.   
  
Rock turned away from the blow rolling against the wood wall as Shampoo put a hole through where he was last positioned. The Blond boy kept rolling against the wall as Shampoo kept pivoting around to meet him, placing a new hole in the wall with each turn. Rock, rolling against the wall to his left while Shampoo continued to pivot to her right, moving to her right for seven more holes when Rock darted to his right as he saw a yellow and black shiruken stick into the area he was about to go into. Also Shampoo had anticipated where he would be at that point, her bonbori landing where his head woulda been if he continued. Rock shot his left fist out and broke Shampoo's Bonbori handle in half, than hooked it back into the Amazon's shoulder to send her to the side. As she cleared out of the way, Rock was slightly dismayed as he saw the girl with the large spatula, the guy called Ranma, and the guy Ranma called 'P-Chan' charging after him, none of them looking very happy.  
  
"This is getting too out of hand," thought Rock to himself, "they don't even care about the damage they're doing to this place, better get them outside." Ukyo and Ranma saw Rock blur for a second than vanish, both coming to a stop as they felt a quick breeze race by them kicking up their hair from the draft.   
  
"Wow, too fast!" Ukyo gasped, then felt another breeze race by her as she saw Ranma turn into a black and red streak in pursuit of Rock out of the Dojo door. Ryoga unfortunatly in his rage did not notice Rock was not in his way and crashed through the wall, looking around in fury before starting foward looking for his target.   
  
"He's THIS way, you Jackass!" Ukyo cried out, earning Ryoga's look of rage in her direction, nonetheless he complied and followed her back through the sizable hole in the dojo and out the dojo's true exit.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
If it didn't seem like a life or death situation, Rock would enjoy this fight. But as it is, it was as if these four were trying to do more than just kill him. Rock was rather suprised to see Ranma catch up to him after he had used his Rage Run to put some distance between them. But instead of showing his suprise, he only flexed and tightened his guard, expecting another volley of those high speed punches Ranma started off using against him.   
  
Ranma didn't use his Amaguriken this time, opting for power in the overall hits as he threw a hard cross at Rock's head. Rock pulled his head to the side and let the blow breeze by him. Ranma followed it up with a cresent kick to the mid range, giving Rock exactly what he wanted as he caught the move and took all his momentum from it and put it into a return attack. Rock's Crack Counter Jou-dan had it's impressive effect on Ranma who *almost* managed to block it as Rock used the momentum from Ranma's kick to allow him to flip foward and drop his heel onto Ranma's shoulder, bringing the pig tailed martial artist to his knees.  
  
If Rock intended to follow up the attack, he wasn't given the chance as a mini spatula came racing by his head. Rock wasn't ready to immidiatly go against the other three just yet, so decided to up the level a bit.   
  
"REPPUKEN!" Shampoo, Ryoga's, and Ukyo's eyes went wide as the saw the ki attack race towards them, and dashed out of the way. Rock meant the attack to scare them away and also show that they should think a bit more about attacking him as the runaway projectile crashed into a large rock and pulverized it.  
  
"Yellow hair Boy use Ki attacks easy!" Shampoo cried in dismay.   
  
"And he didn't even seem to put effort into it," Ryoga added with awe. Rock's plan didn't go as he hoped it would as the other three advanced on him even stronger this time, putting twice as much effort on each of their behalfs as they did before, including Ranma who recovered from the distraction Ukyo gave Rock.  
  
"That Young man Soutome, doesn't his style look familiar to you?" Enquired Soun as he calmly observed the fight going on in his back yard that was reaching near epic proportions.   
  
"Hmm, some of it does remind me of this one man I met in the north years ago, when me and Ranma were on our training mission," stated Genma matter of factly, "we had a friendly sparring match in which we came to a draw." Genma negleted to mention that the 'sparring match' started over Genma trying to steal the rabbits and fish the blond haired man was cooking, the match ending when both fighters found themselves too evenly matched and as a compromise to share his catches with Genma and his son, as long as they didn't eat more than their share and left some for him and his own young ward.....  
  
Genma blinked at the memory, than realized who the boy was that was holding his own against four of Nerima's best martial artists.  
  
Rock was holding rather well as his four attackers attempted to overwhelm him. He was in full stratagy mode now and came to a few conclusions. One they were all fighting too hard and would wear themselves out faster than he would tire (he hoped), just as long as he stayed conservative. Another thing is they weren't used to fighting as a team, and with the effort they were already putting in, they were getting in each other's way, it would just be a matter of helping them to further that problem.   
  
Rock shifted his stance a bit as Ryoga drove a punch towards his chest, but instead of moving out of the way, Rock caught the fist with both hands and continued Ryoga's foward momentum by pulling him back with him, causing Ukyo's large spatula to crash into Ryoga's face. Rock than side kicked Ukyo away, and pulled Ryoga into an over the shoulder Kokuu Sen throw, Ryoga's dazed body landing on top of Shampoo. Rock fell with Ryoga's body then lashed out with a sweeping kick to take Ranma off balance, to no avail as Ranma only slightly lept over the attack, then came down with a mean looking dart kick.   
  
Rock rolled out of the way, picking up one of Shampoo's bonboris out of her hand as she was fighting to get Ryoga off of her, and threw it at Ranma. Ranma pulled to the side to evade it, giving Rock the time he needed to stand up. In a sigh of resignation, Rock went back into defense position as everyone got back up and rushed after him to renew their attacks, now their expressions all matching the evil looks of Ryoga's.  
  
Akane and Nabiki watched from the entrance of the Dojo, Akane looking extremely impressed by the fact that this guy was not only still sucking air, but BEATING Ranma, Shampoo, Ukyo, and Ryoga all at once. Nabiki had a sardonic smile at watching someone actually humbling the great Ranma Saotome and friends. Looking out towards the Dojo entrance, Nabiki saw the lime green Honda motorcycle sitting outside the gates with a sizable backpack on the ground by it, no doubt belonging to the blond haired foreigner.   
  
Another object caught her eye and went to go inspect it. In the spot where Ranma and the other boy were fighting, was laying a platnum debit/credit card. Nabiki's eyes widened, "so, he's obviously well off, or he stole it," Nabiki thought to herself, more deciding that it was the latter from the backpack . Nonetheless it may help to find out who he is and where he's from if she did a little background check on the card that belonged to a "Mr. Rock Howard"....  
  
The battle time was now starting to take it's toll on Rock, as his four opponents seemed to be fueled by beserker rages or something. Rock jumped to his left as Shampoo tried another straight right jab at his back, then Rock hooked his right arm around Shampoo's still extended arm and and put his back completly against Shampoo's front, allowing her no leverage. Rock than torqued to his left, bringing Shampoo's arm still holding the bonbori forth and used it to block Ukyo's massive spatula. Rock then lifted Shampoo up so her feet were not touching the ground and swung to his right, parrying Ukyo's spatula away. Finally Rock unhooked his right arm from around the base of Shampoo's right arm, and in a fluid motion brought his right arm to Shampoo's left side, and swung her shoulder first into Ranma, who had to drop his attack attempt in order to keep him and Shampoo from tumbling over. Shampoo misinterpreted Ranma's actions as she hugged him fiercely.  
  
That bit of distraction towards Ranma allowed Rock to concentrate a bit on Ukyo and Ryoga. Rock had determined Ryoga's attack pattern along with Ukyo's and came up with the best plan of attack to hopefully take one of them out of the fight. Feigning an attack to Ryoga, Rock rushed after Ukyo, putting her on the defensive. Rock faked an opening for Ukyo, who pressed to take advantage of it and swung outward in a horizontal arc. Rock smiled as his timing was perfect and lept straight up instead of outwards, causing the spatula to swing under him and hit Ryoga in the gut. Rock than dropped an ax kick while still in the air onto Ukyo's grip of her weapon, knocking it to the ground. Rock then followed it up by punching forth at the center of Ukyo's clavical with a ki reinforced elbow. Rock hadn't stopped moving foward with his Hard Edge attack when he felt a *painful* kick to the small of his back.  
Ranma was having problems anticipating the blond haired boy's moves, but at least now he was getting the rythem of things and decided that it was time to end this. Ryoga also seemed to be at his limits as the lost boy began to charge for his own Ki attack with his anger, Ranma similarly charging his own with his confidence (now actually more arrogance). Rock recovered with a roll and felt the two twin yet opposing ki forces building up to something powerful, but not quite as powerful as what he could handle. Both Ranma and Ryoga reached the apex of their energy building and called forth their attacks, "MAKO TABAKISHA!" "SHI SHI HAKOUDAN!" But just as they did this, Rock called forth his own,  
  
"RAAAAAAGIIIIIIINNNNNNNNG STORRRRRRMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!"  
  
Both Ryoga Shi Shi Hakoudan and Ranma's Mako Takabisha were swallowed into the seemingly unstable tempest of roaring Fatal Fury, the after shock of Rock's final attack knocking all four fighters along with Nabiki, Akane, Soun, and Genma to the ground.   
  
Ranma climbed out of the fish pond he was knocked into, as mad as he had ever gotten, while Rock reigned in the power of his attack, his left hand grasping his right hand as if it were on fire. Akane noticed that Rock's hand seemed to be enveloped in a white/purplish flame which seemed to be causing the Blond boy aggrivation.  
  
Finally Rock calmed down enough to will down the energy and attempted to recompose himself. He hoped pulling such a move off would completly deterr everyone from furthering this fight. Unfortunatly he never heard about the reputations of Nerima's martial artists for being 'rational'. Rock went back into a weary stance as a new opponent came towards him, some girl with red hair and a look of total murder in her eyes....  
  
"YAMETTE"  
  
Rock heard the Japanese word for "stop" called out, and the redhead halted in her tracks and glanced at the shorthaired girl standing at the door of the Dojo. The Female Ranma looked dumbfounded as she watched Akane jog up to the boy, and bow.   
  
"I'm sorry," said Akane in the most sincere tone that ANYONE had heard her use in a long time....  



	4. 'A Threat?'

Mark of the Wolves/ Ranma 1/2  
Quiet Control Episode 4:  
"Unforcable Atonement"  
  
  
  
"I do not think I am the one you need to be apologising to," stated Rock finally breaking the minute long silence that fell over everyone, as if sound could not travel in their vicinity. Rock's voice did not betray any of the weariness he was feeling at the moment, "but that other guy you were about to blindside before all of this started."   
  
"Me, apologise to THAT Jerk?" Akane shuddered at the thought of having to apologise to RANMA of all people, it was easier to apologise to the blond young man standing before her, he only acted in defense against Akane's.... lapse of temperment, but what she was about to do to Ranma was RANMA's fault, not her...  
  
Or at least that's what she kept telling herself at the moment  
  
"Where is, um, Ranma, anyhow?" asked Rock, finally seeing civility come to everyone around him, or at least a sembalance of it (read: nobodie's drawn weapons against him yet). Rock Howard followed the gazes of a few people before they turned away from what they stole a glance at, a soaking wet redhead with an aggressive yet puzzled look on her face.   
  
"Shampoo not know where airen go," said Shampoo, looking slightly unnerved.   
  
"HAH?" Replied Ryoga and Ranma at the same time, Ryoga was the first to speak up, "What's wrong with you? He's right THMPH!!!!!"   
  
Ukyo planted a hand quickly over Ryoga's mouth before he could blow the redhead's cover, "Um, I guess Ranma honey took off after the fight ended, that's how he is, always on the go!"  
  
Rock was far from an idiot, easily noting despite his not so firm grasp on the Japanese language that their tones and mannerisms were reflecting nervousness, and the way the three girls looked toward the Redhead than quickly away when Ranma was mentioned suggested a connection between him and the girl. Rocks mind was still in quick process mode as he added a few minor details up about where he last saw Ranma kneeling before Rock unleashed his Raging Storm. Rock noted the new redhead only a few paces between him and where Ranma was before hand, and noticed she was soaking wet and trailing water. Looking past her, Rock noticed a little fishpond, with one of the carp flopping around on dry land, as if it were suddenly knocked out of the water.  
  
Everyone gave Rock a curious look as he walked past the redhead and over to the fish pond and flipped the fish back into the water before it suffocated.   
  
Rock then turned back around and hazarded a guess, "So, Ranma, can you explain what this is all about?" Rock's face grew smug as he watched everyone face fault then trip to the ground.  
  
"H-how did you know it was me?" Asked Ranma, rather puzzled and upset that he realized his, now her, curse.  
  
"I didn't until you told me, so you're a crossdresser?"  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Nabiki had retired to her room during the middle of the fight and sat in front of her computer, conversing with a few associates to hack into the credit report of the card she had found. After what seemed a reletively simple task for her business associate on the other end of the net, Nabiki was rewarded with the info she wanted, and was immidiatly terrified from what she just came across...  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Shampoo and Ryoga sat on one side of the table while Ukyo and Ranma were at the other side, Akane sitting at one end while Rock stood standing and facing away from the table, earning discerned looks from Kasumi.   
  
"It isn't polite to stand above everyone like that you know," retorted Ukyo, saving Kasumi the trouble.   
  
"Hmm, oh, I am sorry, I have not practiced Japanese customs very often," Rock said Sheepishly as he moved past Ukyo and sat between a now male Ranma and his Father, "a curse.... I cannot say I do not believe it, I have heard Terry talk about facing Gods and things, so I guess it's plausable." Rock took a sip of tea out of the cup Kasumi handed him, blushing at the serene smile she was giving him.  
  
"Now why did you have to go and hit Akane like that, huh?" Ranma had been aching to get that question off his chest, and he thought for this Rock's sake, he better have a good answer.  
  
"Because she deserved it."  
  
Only a couple of people could argue against that point.  
  
It would have been silent around the table if it wern't for the grinding sound of Ryoga and Ranma's teeth, but before either of them could react, Soun beat them to the punch, "YOU DARE HIT MY LITTLE GIRL?!?!?!" Soun's head increased in size at least 20 times as it took on more demonic features. Rock merely looked upon Soun Tendo with a look of unconcern (doing rather well in hiding the sudden jolt of nervousness at the sight), while Ranma and his father Genma backed away in self preservation.   
  
"Yes, I did, as I had sought to restrain her as she lost her temper, when that did not work I as forced to take a more severe measure."   
  
By this point Ranma, Ryoga, and now Soun were more than ready to restart the battle that had been waged in the Tendou's backyard, until Rock continued, "she is a martial artist, right? She should have practiced more dicipline and we would not have come to blows."  
  
Akane sunk down sheepishly and tried to make herself as small and unoticable as possible, Ukyo and Shampoo's faces became overly smug, both taking a liking to this new boy, Ryoga cooled down to only a barely controlled fury, while Ranma and Soun didn't even know how to approach that.   
  
"I, I said I was sorry," Akane defended in a small voice.   
  
"Like I said, I am not the one you should apologise to," Rock Howard replied, gesturing to Ranma behind him.   
  
"Wha? Me?" the pigtailed boy stated incredulously.   
  
"Me, apologise to HIM?" Akane stated with no little distain.   
  
"So, this is all YOUR FAULT, RANMA!" bellowed Ryoga as he stood up quick.   
  
"Hey, it's not like the tomboy has to apologise to me! You know how hard it is to train gorillas like her," retorted Ranma, using insults to cover his insecurities as usual. That insult was the trigger for both Ryoga and Akane as Ryoga's fist shot toward Ranma's face, and Akane's mallet also racing in that direction.   
  
Before even Ranma could react, he saw Ryoga's face grow quickly pale, and Akane's look of dumbfoundment. Just inches from Ranma's chest was Akane's mallet, being held by Rock instead of Akane, pushing Ryoga's fist off target at the wrist joint, nudged right in that 'sweet spot'.   
  
The Lost boy finally gave a yelp of pain while Akane was held firm by Rock's ice cold stare. After Akane shrunk back sheepishly, Rock turned and looked towards Ranma with the same glare, that even managed to take back Nerima's premier martial artist, "behave."  
  
After order was brought back, Rock turned to regard Shampoo with a smirk, "so, how long have you and Ranma been together?" he asked, trying to breach a safer topic. Little did he realize, he failed miserably   
  
"HAH?" Ukyo replied standing immidiatly at the comment, while Akane just glared at Ranma, Rock's presence enough to keep her at least civil.   
  
"Does that suprise you all? She called him 'airen', Chinese for 'beloved', although I did notice you are using a dialect of Mandarin I am not familiar with.  
  
"Yes, Shampoo is Amazon, strong women warriors. Ranma become Shampoo husband when he defeat Shampoo, make Shampoo happy bride" Shampoo all but giggled at the end.   
  
Instead of becoming as dangerously red as Akane was, Ukyo's face grew a sly expression, "hold on now, sugar, I don't think you have a claim to Ranma anymore." Akane looked puzzled at Ukyo, while Soun and Genma both hung on Ukyo's following words, "He beat all four of us out there, including you Shampoo....." Ukyo's expression grew even wider as Akane's gained a look of smug satisfaction, "and Ranma."  
  
"I woulda easily taken him without you guys in the way, and I almost had him!" Ranma defended.  
  
"Um, I do not believe I follow," replied Rock, not liking where this was heading too.   
  
"Aiyaaa," Shampoo gave as her reply, her hand covering her mouth in worry.   
  
"That's right, Sugar. Since he defeated you, he then has a claim to you, and since he also defeated Ranma, he dissolved his claim...."  
  
Rock's eyes grew wide from what he was told, "Um, er, but I, um..." the young blond haired man couldn't even finish what he wanted to say, too flustered by what he had heard.   
  
"NOW WAIT A MINUTE! HE DID NOT BEAT..." Ranma's mouth was clamped shut by both Soun and Genma's hands, "she's right, this young man is now your beloved, not Ranma!" said Soun desperatly.   
  
"Don't fight it, it's fate," said Genma with a smile.  
  
Rock didn't even bat an eye as he turned and regarded Shampoo, "tell me what are the circumstances behind what I am assuming is a formal engagement by your people...."   
  
"It's not an engagement, Sugar, you're now married according to their laws," said Ukyo matter-of-factly.   
  
"Is true, outsider male defeat Amazon woman, Amazon become bride to male warrior. If new outsider male defeat same Amazon woman, both male have claim until battle between them, winner become sole Amazon husband," Shampoo explained with a sullen tone.   
  
Rock wasn't even supressing the smile on his face, which made it seem to everyone that he was ready to accept the betrothel before he replied, "You do not have to worry, we are not married..."   
  
"But is law..." replied Shampoo before she was cut off by the wave of Rock's hand.   
  
"You said an outsider male must defeat you, I assume that your tribe is of China, and since you are in Japan at the moment, I hold dual citizenship for Hong Kong and Japan, so I am not the outsider here. Besides I conclude the fight a draw."   
  
Shampoo more than eagerly accepted that explanation and in her relief launched herself at Ranma, "Airen, Shampoo so happy you still belong to Shampoo!"   
  
"NOW WAIT JUST A..." Ukyo stated to yell.  
  
"So Rock Howard's smart AND rich, a girl could use that in a man," said Nabiki from the base of the stairs, her voice tone not showing any humor as she spoke. She spoke steadily and deliberatly so Rock would understand completely what she was saying, and he could tell from her tone that she believed she had something against him, and wasn't about to argue it since he hadn't even gotten the chance to tell everyone his name.   
  
"So, you're name is Rock Howard, that is an unusual name, were your parents American?" asked Kasumi, oblivious to the looks her sister Nabiki and Rock were exchanging.   
  
"Hey, Nabiki, how did you find out his name! He refused to tell us jack!" asked Ranma. "Yeah, all I knew was his first name," added Ryoga.  
  
"Maybe there was a reason he wasn't telling us," commented Nabiki as she tapped a card against the low sitting diningroom table in such a way that no one would catch it's meaning exept for Rock. Nabiki's face grew smug when she saw the blond haired boy's face go pale.   
  
"Ahem, maybe we should talk..... alone..." said Rock, no emotion in his voice whatsoever.   
  
"Yes, we do," answered Nabiki, motioning him upstairs, Nabiki still wearing her poker like business face.  
  
"You think Nabiki knows him?" asked Akane.   
  
"Sounds like an old flame to me," replied Ukyo, "why else would he hide his name or be here unless, he knew someone here that he didn't want to know about him."   
  
Ranma immidiatly registered that Nabiki may be in danger, and though he didn't have any true love towards Nabiki, he did feel an obligation to her if she got in trouble.   
  
Before he got up and followed the two, he felt his father's meaty hand on his shoulder, "now son, don't interrupt them, they probably have things very important to discuss." Soun, who was also sharing the same opinion as Ranma about the Blond haired young man turned to Genma with an incredulous look.  
  
"I don't think he's dangerous Tendou," Genma whispered in Soun's ear, "Nabiki doesn't seem to think so, and besides, this may be the oppertunity we've been waiting for..."   
  
"Eh, how so, Saotome?"   
  
"Those techniques of his, they looked like they were powerful enough to even give the master problems." Soun agreed with that, but didn't follow what his old time friend was getting at.   
  
"From the looks of things, Nabiki had a past history with him, now if they were a couple, and were go get engaged....." Genma trailed off.   
  
"Why then, those techniques would belong to the Anything-Goes School," replied Soun, finally catching on.   
  
"And the sooner we learn those techniques...."   
  
"The sooner we can be rid of the master!" replied Soun with an extatic whisper that grew into laughs between old time friends, earning dumbfounded looks from everyone else around them......  



	5. 'Payment Due'

Mark of the Wolves/ Ranma 1/2  
Quiet Control Chapter 5  
"Questionable price"  
  
  
Rock wasn't sure how to handle the situation at the moment, he knew the girl was hostile towards him; and apparently from his credit info, she figured out who he was. In his mind that was far from a good thing. He deduced also that she wanted something from him, and with all the enemies he and his birth father, Geese Howard, have accumilated together, it would be in his best intrests if he complied.  
  
The young blond man waited with a stone stoic face for the shoe to drop. The girl sat down at her desk and stared at him, tapping her pen on her desk as if she was contemplating something. In truth she was waiting for a crack in his facade, some emotion that she could exploit to make her bargaining much more fruitful.   
  
Despite her businesslike demeanor, Nabiki was more frightened than she had ever been in a while. In her room, her own room, stood the heir to what is probably the greatist criminal empire in the eastern hemisphere. She hoped he was as nervous as she was, at least to give her more than equal footing.   
  
For once, the brown haired girl was not negotiating for money, but for the safety of her family and the Furinkan district in general. It may not be perfect, but it had remained Yakuza free since Ranma's appearance in the area. Most Oyaban feared the area because of it's powerful martial artists, others just considered it not worth the effort for the same reasons. Unfortunatly as of recently, some of the smaller thugs have been trying to force their way into the area, and it has been Nabiki along with a few other associates who have been working to keep them from gaining a foothold.  
  
"So," Nabiki started, "did you have business in Nerima?"   
  
"I am on holiday," stated Rock, his voice staying unemotional and almost mechanical.   
  
"Good, he is just as nervous as I am," Nabiki thought to herself, noting the mechanical and distancing tone in his voice, "then I apologise for the circumstances, but I'm afraid your presence here needs to be taken into consideration.  
  
"Then you know who I am," Rock's reply sounded like a statement, not a question. Instead of verbally replying, Nabiki tossed Rock's card back at him then turned to her computer moniter.   
  
"For a vagabond, you're pretty well off."   
  
"My... relatives set up a trust fund for me," Rock still not giving on emotional ground, rising the tension a few notches.   
  
"I see, but you must be 18 to access a trust fund...."  
  
Rock felt himself cornered, he could see the older girl before him was definatly a shark, and he was far from business orientated himself, "well..."   
  
Nabiki knodded her face down by a couple millimeters in leu of her usual smirk, "got him," she thought to herself, just barely stopping the impulse to put her pen to her mouth, "the only Howard that has been this overly wealthy died 10 years ago, a fall from his office building, there are a few people who would be rather interested in the wearabouts of his offspring."  
  
Rock Howard's face darkened tremendously when she said this, truly this girl wasn't that stupid. "You have no idea what you are hinting at, it wouldn't just bring danger to me, but to you and to anyone else involved."   
  
"Please, I do not scare easily," replied Nabiki, her face going tight when she heard the sincerity in her opponent's voice, "but I have a proposition for you. I don't want any more trouble than there already is in Nerima, sooooo..." Nabiki trailed off as if considering her point before continuing, "well, lets just say your presence should be limited with your stay here."  
  
"Fine," answered Rock, realizing it wasn't a good idea to walk into the Dojo and stick his nose where it didn't belong. Before Nabiki could reply or stop him, Rock turned back to the door and curtly swung it open. Without anything to lean on, Soun, Genma, Akane, Ranma, Shampoo, Ukyo, and Ryoga fell flat into Nabiki's room.  
  
"Honestly, you would think that nobody in this household believes in privacy," stated Nabiki in her usually sardonic yet playful voice. She was far from worried after having her walls and door soundproofed after losing many nights of sleep to Akane and Ranma's fighting.  
  
"Well, now that you two have finished, how about you get reaquainted with each other, there are many nice restaurants I'll be more than happy to pay for," said Soun, Nabiki instantly realizing her father had alterior motives.   
  
"Come again?" asked Rock in English.   
  
"Yes, it's easy to see a connection between you two, so why fight it?" Added Genma, Ranma now wondering what his old man and Mr. Tendou were up to. Rock 'hmphed' at the idea while Nabiki glared at her father, thinking of how she was going to make her father pay, literally and dearly, for this one.   
  
"You know Tendou, I think these two may be as difficult as Akane and Ranma, prooffered Genma, gaining a worried glance from Soun.  
  
"HEY RANMA! GET YOUR {censored} {censored} SO I CAN TELL YOU THE RULES FOR WHEN I {censored for the duration of this paragraph............}  
  
"Oh my, what colorful language," exclaimed Kasumi from downstairs. Ranma didn't even bother going back down stairs through the house as he opened up Nabiki's window and jumped out to the front and landed face to face with Toma, the guy who challenged him the other day, "That's no way to talk with ladies present!" "So you're my {censored}, huh? Well excuse me if I {censored} hurt your delicate {censored}, does my language burn your {censored} virgin ears, you little {sigh, such a potty mouth}?"  
  
Rock now had made it downstairs with the rest of the cast to see what the commotion was all about, "Who's this idiot?"   
  
"Correction, expressionate idiot" insisted Ukyo.   
  
Toma turned and regarded Rock for a second before turning back to Ranma, "who's the foreigner?"   
  
Rock caught the term 'gaijin' used with a derogatory tone to it, and narrowed his eyes as he stiffened up, "my name is Rock, try using it instead of 'foreigner'. In fact, just call me Howard-san, I am not your friend and I do not wish to be informal with you."   
  
Na, I can pronounce 'foreigner' correctly," chuckled Toma, noting how he was getting under the blond haired boy's skin, "In six days, an hour after classes are out, Ranma, you meet me on the courts at Furinken High, three on three basketball, no rules exept when the ball goes in it's either 2 points, or 3 points if it's from the three point line."   
  
"And the terms to this fight?" asked Ranma, being wary that Akane may become the prize or something.   
  
"Heh, winner names his price AFTER the match," replied Toma, a dangerous gleam appearing in his eyes.   
  
"Heh, ain't gonna matter what you want for your terms then, you ain't winn'n," replied Ranma, arrogant as ever.   
  
"Heh heh, we'll see, you agree to the terms?" Ranma just knodded. "Good, then see you on the courts, {censored}," with that Toma walked back out of the yard.  
  
"Ranma, what's this all about?" asked Akane, confused and flustered from the language her dainty tomboy ears had to endure.   
  
"Ah, some jerk who was pushing Gos around yesterday, that bully's nutt'n to worry about.   
  
"Tall boy say lots of words Shampoo not know," stated Shampoo with a bit of confusion in her voice, "What (censored) (censored) mean?"   
  
"Do not worry about it," replied Rock in Mandarin to Shampoo, "they're not worth repeating." Shampoo herself blinked as she just realized he replied in her native tongue, everyone else looked in confusion.   
  
"I spent a lot of time in Hong Kong, it payed to know the port town language Cantonese and mainland Mandarin," Rock defended, switching back to Japanese.  
  
"Well, it's Ranma's problem, now Nabiki, where would Daddy's little girl like to be taken to dinner?" asked Soun, with a fake grin and stuffing money into Rock's leather jacket pocket.   
  
"I do not need your money, Tendou-san, even if I did I will not be taking your daughter anywhere," replied Rock coldly, inciting Soun to instant tears.   
  
"He's got it for Nabiki, doesn't he?" Ranma asked Akane, his answer a nod from her, Shampoo, and Ukyo.   
  
Rock felt lightly disgusted from seeing a grown man reduced to waterworks like that, and decided that he may as well appease the man, at least this will give him a chance to argue his part to Nabiki, who already seemed to label him as a gangster after his father, "Alright, but not tonight, I feel I need to rest. I will be back tomorrow."  
  
Rock started towards the back door to where his motorcycle was brought in.   
  
"Uh, where are you going?" Asked Genma, nervous that the young man may try to make a break for it.   
  
"I am going to go find a hotel for the night," Rock replied simply, putting on his backpack and getting on his bike.   
  
"Nonsense, you're welcome to stay in the dojo for as long as you like," exclaimed Soun. Rock turned and looked towards the mixed expressions of his newfound peers, Ranma had a weary yet slightly negative expression as if he didn't want much more to do with Rock, Shampoo's expression was curious, Ukyo's was slightly disconcerned with the situation, while Akane's looked....hopeful? Finally Rock turned towards Nabiki, who was barely hiding her sour expression.   
  
"I do not want to impose..."   
  
"Oh, you wouldn't be imposing any more than the two freeloaders here," Akane stated dryly, in which Ranma and Genma replied indignantly towards.   
  
"But..." Rock started before he was cut off by Soun.   
  
"No buts about it, you are a guest of our house and that's final!"  
  
Rock sighed in resignation, "Then at least allow me to pay for my expenses here."   
  
"We don't 'need' your money here," stated Nabiki, colder than even her usual ice queen tone. Nabiki's reply earned a gasp from everyone around her exept for Rock, who's eyes narrowed.   
  
"She must really hate his guts," whispered Ukyo.   
  
"Is true love, yes?" replied Shampoo.  
  
"Now Nabiki, it's not proper to be rude to guests," chided Kasumi.   
  
"I'm sorry," Nabiki apologised to Kasumi, not intending it for Rock.   
  
"If I am to be staying here tonight, at least allow me to make dinner, the very least I can do," Asked Rock.   
  
"Yellow hair boy cook?" asked Shampoo.   
  
"Yes, it is something that relaxes me in fact, if someone would kindly point me towards the direction of a store...."   
  
"Oh, I've been meaning to to to the market anyhow, I'll be more than happy to show you the way," answered Kasumi who walked back in the house and a few seconds later out with her wicker shopping carrying basket.   
  
"Okay, just give me a second," asked the blond haired boy as he put the kickstand back down on his bike.   
  
"Oh, wouldn't you rather drive us there?" enquired Kasumi, she had always thought it would be fun to ride on such a vehicle.   
  
"Huh?" replied Rock intelligably. Everyone else facefaulted and tripped to the ground.   
  
"K-Kasumi?" questioned Akane.   
  
"W-Welllllll" stumbled Rock in English, trying to think of a reason not to have to take his motorcycle, then switching back to Japanese, "I suppose there is no harm to be done."   
  
Rock scooted foward and offered Kasumi the back of the seat and his helmet that he kept in his backpack {instead of wearing it like he should, remember helmet safety as a rule, children!}.   
  
"Oh my, this is exiting," replied Kasumi cheerfully, then gave another 'oh my' when Rock reved up the moter, then as Rock immidiatly picked up and rode, Kasumi clutched Rock tightly from behind at chest level, exclaiming once more, exept with a little more feeling, "OH MYYYYYYYYYYyyyyyyyyyyyyy.....*"  
  
Everyone sweated for Kasumi's safety.....  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
"Yeah Dad, looks like I'll be getting the {censored} Furinkan district to run, don't look like there's going to be much in the way of competition," said Toma over the phone, his smug attitude almost overbearing to his father.   
  
"First of all, watch your language with me, young man. You may be my son, but I will cut your tongue out. Secondly, YOU FOOL!"   
  
Toma flinched at his father's chastizing, "wha, what did I do?" "That district contains no less than eight of Japan's most powerful martial artists, possibly the strongest among them is one Saotome Ranma."   
  
"Ranma? That little {almost censored, false alarm}, er, weakling? I'm gonna be taking him on 6 days from now in a game of b-ball. I'll mop the courts with him and his foreigner friend Howard Rock."   
  
Oyabun Youru's blood went cold at the mention of that name, "Son, was he blond haired?"   
  
"Er, yeah, what of it?"   
  
Youru rubbed his forehead as if a headache was coming on, "nothing, do not worry about it, inform me of what your plans are tomorrow."  
  
The Yakuza Oyabun hung up the phone before his son could reply, his own blood has gotten a well over his idiot head this time. Unfortunatly his son he knew wouldn't be talked out of a challenge, and though his son is gifted in martial arts and basketball, he had no fantasies of young Toma and his two bodyguards Din and Kaze being able to take Rock and Ranma alone, much less whoever they add to their roster.   
  
"Maybe I can turn this to my benefit," thought Nobayuki Youru to himself, "heh, in fact, this may be the perfect oppertunity!" A plan formed in the Oyabun's head that would allow his son glory and most assuradly set him a place as an upcoming head of the Yakuza. If he managed to defeat Ranma AND Rock, and earn Nobayuki himself more notice with his own superiors if his offspring managed to best the scion of the great Geese Howard. But as he realized earlier, he didn't think his son had a snowball's chance in a blastfurnace...  
  
Picking up the phone and pressing the autodial on his phone, the Oyabun was greeted by one of his employees.....  



	6. 'Rage'

Mark of the Wolves/ Ranma 1/2  
Quiet Control Chapter 6  
"Rage"  
  
  
"Oh, my," Whispered Kasumi for the umpteenth time, once again drawing concerns everyone around the table.   
  
"What yellow hair boy do to nice girl?" Asked Shampoo as Rock set the steaming pot onto the table.   
  
"I... did not do anything," replied Rock innocently, then smirked and winced at the pain in his ribs from behing hugged too tight, "well, maybe I did round a few corners a bit tightly."   
  
"Oh, my," said Kasumi.   
  
"My poor little girl is comatose!!!!!" Wailed Soun.  
  
"In any case, I hope you enjoy this, I had to experiment with a few things since I was not able to find all the nessisary ingredients."   
  
Ranma shuddered at the word "experimenting", since the one who usually experiments was Akane, and everyone at the table exept for Rock himself know how those turned out. From the looks of everyone else, including Akane, the sentiments of Ranma were the same.   
  
As Rock finished serving up the colorful stew into everyone's bowl, he noted the wary looks on everyone's faces, "what is wrong? Have I done something offensive?" Rock asked, a bit worried he made a bad impression on his manners.   
  
"Er, no, that is, um, it's, uh, usually customary for the server to begin the meal before everyone else," stated Soun, coming nowhere near hiding his nervousness.   
  
"I did not know that custom, but if you insist," Rock took a sip and his eyebrows hit his hairline, causing everyone to scoot back from the table, ready to make their excuses for not being hungry.   
  
"You were right Kasumi, these peppers do work well as a substitute," with that Rock began to hungrily dive into his portion of dinner.   
  
Akane, being the most adventurous of the gang, decided to take a *slight* sample, and was quite suprised, "wow, this IS good! What is this called?"   
  
"Jambaliya, a Creole dish." Rock replied proudly, then scooped up a bit more from his bowl. Tenativly, everyone else gave it a try and found the meal to their liking.   
  
"This too, too delicious, all ku....ku...kur..., funny word dish taste good?" asked Shampoo, not quite able to say the word "creole".   
  
"Yeah, this ain't half bad, I was worried that this was gonna be something like the Tomboy's cooking," Ranma said as he casually pulled his head to the side and avoided a hurled vase his way by Akane, then went back to 'inhaling' his serving, and fighting his father for more.   
  
"Oh, my," replied Kasumi, her voice still nowhere near higher than a whisper.   
  
"Is she going to remain like this?" Asked Rock.  
  
"Only until the gag gets old," Replied Ranma matter-of-factly after finishing up his 4th bowl, "what was that move you did to us earlier, that Rei Jin Sto-whatever, is it American?"   
  
"Raging Storm, a powerful technique from the Hakkyaku-seiken Ryuu," stated Colonge solomnly while scooping up some rice from her bowl of jambaliya.   
  
"OLD GHOUL! When did you get here?" Ranma asked incredulously.   
  
"Am I to be mistaken that you are the scion of Geese Howard? Replied Cologne as she stood on Ranma's head, which was half buried through the table via a tap from Cologne's staff.  
  
Rock's face darkened a bit, "who needs to know?"   
  
"No one important," replied Cologne with a slight smile, "I can see you have a good heart for it not to matter. But I must warn you, son-in-law, that technique you use is a dangerous one to it's weilder."   
  
Shampoo suddenly snapped still and went stiff after hearing what her great-grandmother just said.   
  
"That is not the first time I have been told that," stated Rock before his mind registered three of the words she said, "WHAT? SON-IN-LAW?!?"   
  
Ukyo's spoon stopped just before it reached her mouth, Ranma forced himself up from under Cologne with a suprised look on his face, Shampoo joined Kasumi in the fair realm of Catatonia, and Rock's mouth opening and closing like a trout that was pulled out of the water, Kasumi whispering 'oh my'.  
  
Cologne kept her urge to laugh in check, "Is my great-granddaughter that unattractive? Do you and Son-in, er, Ranma find her unbecoming?"   
  
"...." Rock could not reply for a few second until he got back control of his mouth, "Uh, I mean that is, she is beauti, er, nice and, um I mean I do not..." Rock tried to find the words to speak, switching between Japanese and English in his nervousness as he looked around the room for help. Shampoo and Kasumi were both still out of it, Ukyo and Akane giving looks of "don't expect me to bail you out", Ryoga looking slightly undaunted, Soun and Genma starting to grow flustered that their plans were coming into new opposition, Nabiki's eyes narrowing about *something* she disliked, and Ranma giving a look that held both sympathy and relief.   
  
"I am merely jesting, young Howard," Replied Cologne with a chuckle, "You're rational earlier was enough for me, besides I would say that if the fight continued, you would not have come out the victor."  
  
Rock's sigh of relief turned into a grunt of indignity, "and why you say that?"   
  
"Not to slight you, but you were up against no less than four fighters who are at least in peer with your skills, though you handled yourself quite well, using their non-existant teamwork against them."   
  
"Well, I have trained hard," replied Rock modestly. "Hmph, I coulda taken him if no one was in my way," interjected Ranma.   
  
"Maybe," countered Rock with a hint of challenge in his voice.   
  
"Perhaps that is a fight we would have to witness once," interrupted Cologne, "Son-in-law's speed and tenacity vs one with such a mastery in stratagy and potent ki abilities."   
  
"Yeah, how do you do that Raijingu Storumu thingie," asked Ranma, butchoring the English words.   
  
"It is... not something you would be able to do," answered Rock a bit downfallen, "it is a family curse as it is a technique, only four people ever in the Hakkiyaku Seiken School have mastered it, me and my.... birth father.... are the only two living right now."   
  
"Oh yeah? I bet I learn that move in 3 days!" replied Ranma in a challenge.   
  
"Son-in-law, what he means is you CANNOT practice the technique because you lack the temperment for it, he doesn't mean that it is a sealed technique, though it should be like your father's Yamaseiken and Umiseiken, nor the fact that it is a very difficult technique, but that it is a 'Rage technique'."  
  
"Huh, Rage technique, what's that?" asked Akane.   
  
"A skill that uses your own angst and anger to channel the appropriate ki for the technique," answered Rock before Colonge could.   
  
The ancient woman was taken aback, "You, you know about the Raging Storm, yet you still use the move? I would assume that you know what happened to the other THREE practitioners of the move, what it did to them."   
  
"I am not a fool, ancient one," replied Rock, switching to Mandarin Chinese, "I was taught the move by one who trusted in me enough to believe I was strong enough to conquer it, though he himself did not practice the move."   
  
"Please, in Japanese so everyone else can follow," asked Cologne, "the man who taught you the Raging Storm, I would believe him to be one Mr. Terry Bogard?"   
  
"That is him," confirmed Rock.   
  
"Hmm, if he trusted you enough to teach it to you, perhaps you will be the first to completely command it?"   
  
"Huh? You talk like this move is gonna kill him or something," said Ryoga.   
  
"Not quite, at least in death your soul is intact," answered Cologne gravely.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
"Only 2 hours, you arrived quickly," stated Oyabun Youru in a business tone.   
  
A man with long yet oily orange hair tilted his head to the side, tresses of hair shifting from in front of his preditory eyes, "I was in Hong Kong on sport, you have a game for me to play?"   
  
"An old playmate of yours, I believe, is in town..."   
  
"A lot of my old toys live in Japan. I broke most of them already," interrupted Youru's guest, shifting his whole body to the side slightly in a smooth snakelike motion.   
  
"But this one isn't always here, I heard he is one 'toy' that managed to elude you after defeating you?"   
  
The preditory eyes narrowed into slight slits, like a snake that had just eyed it's prey, "and who do you mean?" Youru picked up a photo that was lying face down on his desk, and before he could turn it around, a slight wind was all that signalled that Youru was no longer holding the photo, and instinctivly jerked his hand back as if to avoid getting it cut off.   
  
"Howard...." hissed Freeman as he inspected the picture, then slowly and softly dragged a long fingernail over it, cutting Rock's image in half.  
  
  



	7. 'By Insistance'

Mark of the Wolves/ RAnma 1/2  
Quiet Control Chapter 7  
"By Insistance"  
  
  
It has been said that Nabiki wasn't a morning person, it was also said that the combination of years of inhaling paint fumes and a generous snootfull of Nerve gas during WW I didn't do well for Hitler's rationalizing facilties.   
  
On a weekend, Nabiki didn't get up unless she either chose to, or when it became apparent that due to a certain martial arts family freeloading off of hers, she would have to visit her unholy financial vengence upon those who would work towards stifling her rest.  
  
"You would think after giving them the bill for all the damages they've done since they came to stay with us would deter them once in a while," grumbled the half sleeping middle Tendou sister as she stumbled into bathroom (as how she woke up so much later than anyone else meant she could use it without having to wait as everyone else did, well, that and the fact that NOBODY wanted to be on Nabiki's bad side during the morning [which happened to be anywhere but her blindside, but I digress], and graciously made sure that they were done before she got up), then back into her room and dressed.  
  
"Good morning Nabiki, we'll be having breakfast in a little while," greeted Kasumi as Nabiki came down and the greeting was returned with a non-commital grunt and wave. Nabiki stalked towards the back yard, deciding that the first fiscal target would be her dear Uncle Genma, that way he wouldn't have a chance to escape while Ranma caught the brunt, so imagine her slight suprise as she saw the panda sitting on her porch with her father observing the scene outside and not participating in said scene.  
  
High snap kick blocked with horizontal forearm, followed by blocking a mid thrust kick with knee, parry straight cross with palm of the rear hand, fade to side from jab, feign a counter punch to see Ranma's reaction....  
  
Ranma was getting rather fed up with the lack of actual offensive display on behalf of his sparring partner at the moment.   
  
"Comon, fight BACK!!!" Yelled Ranma as he began to once again up the level of his fighting skill against Rock, who once again, took the increased difficulty from Ranma in stride. Akane held back snickers, much to her credit, although the beet red and shaking contenance belayed her intended display of anything other than wanting to burst out laughing from the sheer irony of it all.  
  
"Nice to see you're finding this amusing, sis," stated Nabiki in her usual sardonic (if not slightly tired) tone. Akane took deep breaths before she answered, "All those times, *snicker*, that I told Ranma to fight me, *heh*, and, *chuckle*, well, it's good to see him, *giggle*, on the end of it for a change."  
  
Nabiki would have also found it humorous, if not for the fact that she was slightly livid. You see, part of her planned revenge didn't actually come from the money (since Ranma didn't have any to begin with really), but from the crest fallen look he had from when he realized that he was further in dept with the money mistress than before.   
  
Problem is the same thing wouldn't work with Rock, seeing as how from what she saw on his credit report, he could afford the inconvenience that she would visit upon him, and tip her with a smile, and donate on a whim to her favorite charity, in her name.  
  
"I can not fight you back yet, you are not ready," stated Rock a little too casually (too casually as in he wasn't even breathing hard, despite the fact that his lungs felt like they were ready to burst from extended sparring like this, not even Terry put him through the grinder like this often).   
  
Ranma, of course falling for the bait, "WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" Ranma's outburst was followed by Rock's fist, and a swimming trip to the fishpond.   
  
"It means you hadn't lost your temper enough yet for that to work," remarked Rock as he went to help the now redhead girl out of the water, "I do not think I will ever get used to your sex changing, do you not find it rather, disconcerting?"   
  
"Disca-wha?"  
  
"Sorry, I said that in English, did I not?"  
  
As Ranma got up and shook a bit of the access water out of her hair, he managed to catch Nabiki's "You are going to be paying HEAVILY for it this time" evil glare #142 variation A.   
  
Ranma sighed in resignation, "How much do I owe you now for waking you up?" Ranma decided she best just cut to the chase instead of having to listen to the middle Tendou sister come up with a rationalization for the outragous amount she was going to make him give up.   
  
"Owe her for waking her up?" asked Rock incredulously, "it's nearly nine, which reminds me, I need to go finish washing up and help Kasumi with breakfast, I promised to exchange a few recipes with her for my special pancake batter." With that Rock headed upstairs to the bathroom before Ranma could insist on a rematch. As soon as he reached the bathroom, he nearly fainted from exhaustion and oxygen deprivation.  
  
"Okay, never try to bluff an opponent with possibly twice the stamina of yourself."  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
"Wow, a boy who's enthusiastic about cooking and who can hand it to the great Ranma Saotome. Mebbe you should think about staying in your girl mode and marry him," Nabiki took immense pleasure from the blue aura forming around the angry redhead.   
  
"Yes, he would make a great husband for you Nabiki! Why, you may begin the engagement right away!" declared Soun, who's selective hearing managing to serve his purpose, waved a fan in approval.  
  
Nabiki managed to choke on air, which actually is an incredible feat by the way, "M-MARRY?"   
  
"Why not, sis? You two would make a good couple," added Akane, who couldn't resist getting a jab on her sister.   
  
"Come to think of it, they do look good together," further added Ranma, wanting her own back for the jaunt Nabiki gave him. The ridiculed one stormed back into the house, determined that she now focus her newfound rage against the root of it all, a certain rich Blond haired Gaijin.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Rock was becoming irritable, first that... that... girl Nabiki harrassed him all morning, he even offered to pay her to go away for a few hours. Much to his chagrin, and EVERYONE else's suprise, she refused, stating, in quote, "I don't want your money, Mr. Howard."  
  
Unfortunatly for her, instead of everyone, but Rock of course, interpreting this as anymosity and resentment towards the blond haired guest.... well, let's just see what is going on in Nabiki's room at the moment....  
  
"This one will look great on you Sis, I've never seen you in this either!"   
  
"That, Akane, is because it's for special occations, this is not one of them," retorted Nabiki hotly, for the life of her she could not figure out HOW she had been so maneuvered into this, for she was now honorbound for the events of this evening.   
  
"Oh, but Nabiki, this is your first meaningful date, this is a special occasion! Oh my, I think I have a necklace that would go nice with that!"   
  
"And what makes you think this is my first 'meaningful' date, Kasumi?" Kasumi just had her eyes closed with a brilliantly cheerful smile that to most people looked like her standard smile, but a trained eye would recognize as Kasumi's "who are you trying to kid here?" look.   
  
"It's alright to be embarrased on your first true date (that wasn't trying to swindle us out of house and home or owing you a huge debt), at least he's willing to take you out, unlike that idiot fiancee of mine," stated Akane in aggrivation, but with a tinge of remourse.   
  
"You could just ask him, Sis," replied Nabiki, awaiting her sister's usual denial, she wasn't disappointed of course.   
  
"Me? Ask that idiot out? That, that BOY? As if I cared to go out on a date with HIM...." Kasumi turned to Akane, her smile never varying from the one she gave Nabiki, and Nabiki giving her younger sister how own intepretation of said smile....  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
"Oh man, Nabiki's gonna BLEED you! It's not too late to run away, ya know?" stated Ranma with sincere worry.   
  
"I will be alright, it is not as if we are planning on being out for that long," replied Rock with no worry but annoyance in his voice. True Nabiki was a nice enough looking girl, VERY nice looking from what Rock could see, and if circumstances were different, he would be his usual self when around a would be courter.... a babbling and shy wreck waiting for any oppurtunity to run for the hills, as a dear Chinese girl he met in the King of Fighters Tournament named Hotaru discovered, and used to her advantage, but let's not go into that right now.   
  
Unfortunatly, Rock found that Nabiki didn't seem to like him, and the feeling was mutual. Nonetheless he would take her out and be civil about it, and pray she decides to be the same.  
  
"You don't know Nabiki like I do, she'll drain you like a sponge inna hydropress!" Ranma was hoping to get through to Rock, but found the experience was like talking to a, well, a rock.   
  
"I would not worry about it, I can well cover what ever she decides for this night," assured Rock. He had decided that since he wouldn't be in town too long, he may as well indulge and use his card that his Uncle gave him. By the time they reach the user's location, he would be long gone. Besides as many false leads they've had (due to Hokotomaru's assistance), it's a doubt they would bother, particularly since he planned on going to places that were not his usual style.   
  
"As the Americans say, your Chapter 11 filing," stated Ranma, giving up as the voice of reason.  
  
Before Rock could reply, a familiar rattling of chains could be heard approaching.   
  
"*Sigh*, it was only a matter of time I guess," resided Rock, turning and catching one of the chained maces hurled at him. "ROCK HOWARD, PREPARE TO DIE!" Yelled Mousse as he hurled more chained objects; a spear, a grappling claw, a hammer, a Playstation 2 (he found the things were rather durable and weighted well, and the sharp corners on it did some nice damage), a sock puppet, a buzzsaw, a butterknife, and a package of velveta spread (with all the process it goes through, Mousse decided that this stuff HAD to be deadly). Rock nonchilantly used the mace to bat away all the objects exept for the PS2 (may as well keep it and sell it on eBay after all).   
  
As Mousse came within striking range to use his masterful Crane style Kung Fu, Rock suprised Mousse with a brilliant and original stratagy... he politely asked Mousse to stop (Okay, original for those who lived in Nerima, who woulda thought that being rational would make such a clever tactic?).  
  
"Mousse, I apologise for any grievence that I have brought upon you. I have no intention of taking such a lovely young woman such as Shampoo from you. She is truly fortunate to have someone as devoted as you willing to fight for her."   
  
Mousse was very taken back by this.... "er, well, if you are truly sorry about it...." Mousse then turned to see Ranma braced as if ready for an attack, "RANMA SAOTOME, PREPARE TO DIE!!!!"   
  
Mousse lashed out with a kung fu sword and sliced a fire hydrant in half.   
  
"Since when did Japan start using American fire hydrants?" asked Rock. "WHADDJA DO THAT FOR?" yelled a now female Ranma, having not been able to dodge the waterspash in time. Her reply was a series of angry quacks, since Mousse did not even see the water coming. Rock had to sigh to this, there would be no way he could tell any of his friends about his visit to Nerima, there was just no way they would believe. 


	8. 'Cold Evening'

Mark of the Wolves/ Ranma 1/2  
Quiet Control Chapter 8  
Cold Evening  
  
  
"Ryoga?"  
  
"Ryoga couldn't find his way to the basket if you sat him under it, probably end up scoring more points for the home team."  
  
"Well, Mousse..."  
  
"Has about as good an aim as Ryoga has directions."  
  
"......"  
  
"You don't even have to say it, Akane. Shampoo ain't gonna be concentrating much on the game than the fact that she'll be on the same team as me, and Ukyo ain't gonna be much better."  
  
"But besides you and me, we need a third person or we'll have to forfeit, and..."  
  
"HEY! I ain't giv'n up to nobody, and whaddya mean 'you and me'?"  
  
Akane just stuck her tongue out before replying, "it's not as if you have a whole team lined up right now, you're gonna need all the help you can get. And since I'm probably the only compotent basketball player you know..."   
  
"I guess, just not a compotent martial artist," Ranma quipped back.   
  
"Hmph, so you say," replied Akane almost non-chalantly as she removed her fist from Ranma's face, "So that still only leaves two of us and we need a third who knows how to play basketball and practices martial arts.." Akane scowled before continuing, "I GUESS Ukyo's our best bet..."   
  
"Yeah, good idea there, tomboy, you and Ukyo on the same team. May as well ask Shampoo to take my place and..." Ranma didn't even get a chance to finish that thought as he was sleeping quite uncomfortably under the diningroom table.   
  
"Oh my, I guess I'll have to order another dining table," exclaimed Kasumi from the kitchen, I don't know what we would do without that deal Nabiki got us from that furniture store, tables can be so expensive sometimes."  
  
"I wonder how Nabiki's date is going right now," pondered Akane.   
  
"Oh, I'm sure she's having a wonderful time, oh dear, it's been such a long time since I've seen her with a guy, she must had been lonely..."  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
"How many times do I have to ask you to turn up the heat?" exhaulted short burly man with the funny mustache.   
  
"But boss, it's already turned up to 80 degrees, I think thermostat is broken," replied the head waiter in a horrid French accent.   
  
"For the last time QUIT TALKING LIKE THAT! You're from Osaka from crying out loud and you've never been to France, it's getting on my nerves," bellowed the manager of the establishment, "and get someone down here to get it fixed then! Our customers are leaving because it's so uncomfortable in here."  
  
Well, the owner of the establishment was partially correct, as much of the patrons were rather uncomfortable. But it wasn't so much from the temperature than it was the couple that sat at one of the mid tables of the restaurant.   
  
Never let it be said that Nabiki couldn't display a battle aura, though it's rare for anyone to cause her to break her cool, or for that matter, force her to become any more frigid. Rock himself didn't exactly harbor any warm feelings towards his 'date' at the moment, with his own aura being just as freezing as any artic wind. Between the two, it was expectant of an upcoming ice age...  
  
"So..." started Rock with no mirth warm emotion in his voice, "is everything to your liking?"   
  
"The service is terrible, the food is cold, the waiter is grating on my last nerve with that idiotic accent, and the company...." Nabiki turned her head sharply away as if she was disgusted with her present 'date'.   
  
"Well, I DO apologise, as you were the one who had suggested the restaurant," retorted Rock as he rapped his fingertips upon the table in annoyance. Of all his battles previous, Rock had almost always came out on top, no matter what the opponent. His cool demeanor during battle and brilliant ability for flash predictions combined with his aptitude for stratagy in the heat of things had served him no matter who opposed him, until recently.   
  
He's been courteus for the past hour or so, yet gotten nothing but angst back for it, even his tolerance was coming to it's limits as he finally turned as callous as Nabiki had been towards him. He had far gone beyond regretting agreeing towards this date, and was now just simply following through the motions so that he may survive long enough for the night to end.  
  
"We can go home now," said Nabiki mechanically, holding her resentment from her voice like a paper dam holding back the Mississippi. Rock hadn't been fooled by her emotionless replies at any time, she resented him more than he had known any enemy to hold against him, and for once, he DID care what a person thought of him, because for this time it was completly unwarrented.   
  
"My father died when I was five.." stated Rock matter-of-factly.   
  
Nabiki was taken aback by this sudden admittance, "and why, pray tell, would I care to know this?"   
  
As if not hearing her, Rock continued, "Not that I really knew much about my father, I spent little time with him or my mother. My birth father was always... busy, while my mother would occationally come to spend time with me when I was an infant, or so I was told."   
  
"When my father was killed, I had seen the whole thing, watched as he let go of the hand that had defeated him, and had sought to save him. At that point, I did not think that this man could be my father, he was just some man who... who.." Rock took a moment to fortify his emotional barriers before continuing, "I confronted the man who had attempted to save my father, even as I knew that Geese Howard wanted this man dead and spared nothing to torment him."  
  
"We did not even say a word to each other as we stared at each other for the longest time, before coming to a wordless agreement when he finally and simply stated for me to come with him. For eleven years I trained with Terry, learning about martial arts and something I knew now my father would never had let me learn, people. From Terry I learned more about humility and dicipline and peace than I could have from under the care of my birth father, or his servants."  
  
"After a while I was content to have nothing to do with anything associated with the name "Howard". Then after that, I did become curious about my heritage, apart from just my father. Terry made efforts to avoid the subject, and even Mai, Andy, Mary, and Joe stayed tight-lipped on it also. It wasn't until my first participation into the King of Fighters Tournament that Terry struck a deal with me, that I would find out a bit more about my family if I were to defeat him."  
  
Rock gave a bit of a chuckle, suprising Nabiki a bit more as he continued, "Terry did not make it easy for me, but I beat him. He promised to tell me everything I wanted to know after the Tournament, only he did not get that chance, for my Uncle happened to be the final participant in the tournament, and offered to help me locate my mother."  
  
"Terry wasn't happy about my decision, but he did honor it. At that moment, I betrayed the one person who had been like a father to me, I probably hurt him much farther than my birth parent had ever done, and if you want a reason to hate me, that is the best one you can have."  
  
Rock tossed the napkin he had on his lap onto the table and signaled for their waiter that they were ready to go.  
  
During the blond haired young man's monologue, Nabiki managed to catch more than a few emotional leaks in his voice, ranging from pleasent to near total self resentment, at no time did he direct spite towards her or even his own original father. She could tell he was more than genuine in his story, and it was more than obvious that he did not condone his father's past actions. But then again, she thought, it could be a well concieved act on his behalf, one practiced many a time to gain someone's trust. There was only one way to find out...  
  
"What do you want to do now?" asked Nabiki in a more relaxed tone a voice than she's used for him since she found out who he was.   
  
"I want to get back so I can be gone from your life, as fast as it would make you happy," replied Rock, with not a little amount of sulleness and acid in his voice. That even managed to take Nabiki back, since her guard had dropped ever so slightly to allow the words to sting.   
  
To her credit she did not let on, "I mean for the rest of this night, it is not a proper date if you just planned on taking me out to dinner."   
  
Rock was definatly suprised at his date's change in attitude, "I.. did not have anything else planned for the night.."   
  
"What is your favorite type of music?" enquired Nabiki, already having ideas on what could follow next. "Um, Rock and Roll, but..."   
  
"Then I know where you can take me next....."  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
The more she told herself that it was a business oppurtunity, the less she started to believe it. Nabiki enjoyed making money, it was to her the most entertaining thing she could ever be involved in.  
  
Unfortunatly the fun she was having right now seemed much a different feeling from what she usually felt when accomplishing a business ordeal. The middle Tendou sister clearly underestimated the Blond foreign boy who was up on stage playing bass to some woman singing a more than decent rendition of Bonnie Pink's "Kako to Genjitsu". Not underestimation by guile or such, but his endearment and heart, clearly not what she was expecting from one who's the child of Asia's greatist crime boss.  
  
Rock himself found he was opening up a bit more to the girl who held a remarkable impression of an Ice Queen, at least now that she wasn't treating him like hazardous waste.   
  
He contemplated as he let his fingers coax the musical instrument in his hands to sing it's baritone voice. He hadn't been in this town before, but apparently the club/bar owner recognized him from gigs he's done in the past to allow him to sit in on a few songs. No sooner did he start, was he able to at least sort out some of the things that have happened since the day before, which allowed him to come to some conclusions and resolved to ask some questions.  
  
Rock's smile grew a bit broader when he noticed his date for the evening among the majority of the audience applauding for him.   
  
"You enjoyed yourself?" asked Rock, actually awaiting for a denial, despite his premonitions, he wasn't disappointed of the answer.   
  
"Yes," replied Nabiki a bit faster than she intended to, chiding herself for that slight.   
  
Rock checked his watch after getting over the mild suprise of her frank answer, "well, it is getting late now, we should be going back now before anyone worries about you."   
  
"Always speaking so formally, at least you're not as arrogant as Kuno-baby," quipped Nabiki, giving taunt to Rock Howard's only too formal speech patterns.   
  
"It is the way I had learned to speak Japanese," answered the young blond man as he took the money handed to him as gratitude for performing with the band, who's lead Bass player had taken a sudden leave.   
  
"Yer'a livesaver kid," stated one of the bandmembers as they began to pack up their equipment, "Iori's prolly run across someone he's had a mad-on for again," the man shuddered as he recalled the 10 year fued that his co-member has had with some guy named Kusanagi, nasty ordeal, that one.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Nabiki and Rock headed back towards the Tendou Dojo, the silence between them speaking of anything but indifference between the two as they contemplated the dramatic change in attitudes towards each other. Eventually one of them had to break it.  
  
"Um, Nabiki, I have to ask, what is with the change of heart?"   
  
"Not one to mince words," Nabiki thought to herself, then decided to be frank and tell him what she thought was the truth, "I figured that you would be better off as an associate than an enemy, I mean if your family is as powerful as I've heard, it wouldn't do to be on your bad side, would it?"   
  
Nabiki found the few seconds of silence a bit more discomforting than she anticipated as she saw Rock's smile fade to a sullen look before he replied.   
  
"Ah." Rock waited a few more moments before continuing, "you should know, that do not intend to have any part in the previous dealings of my blood father. I hope you can believe that sometime."  
  
Nabiki flinched as Rock spoke. It wasn't what he said, but what he implied in his tone. She's delt with this tone of voice many times in many other dealings, exactly why is it now starting to feel a bit more... personal?   
  
"I... I'm sorry about how I've treated you earlier."   
  
Rock was a bit taken aback by the older girl's apology, even knowing her for as short a time as he had, he knew an apology would not come easy from her, "I guess it is okay, it is easy to draw the wrong conclusions with the knowlege of my lineage."   
  
"Mebbe we can start over on this," suggested Nabiki, finding her mouth out of control from her brain, guided by a different organ.  
  
Nabiki felt Rock stiffen suddenly, "Uh, something wrong with that idea?"   
  
"Run," was the only reply Rock gave her. Before Nabiki could question, the corner of her eye caught what appeared to be a ghost.   
  
White porcelyn mask framed by oily orange/red hair with a black shroud draped over a body that seemed to glide smoothly but with unfluid motions. Rock dropped into fighting stance, as years of experience of living in Nerima forced Nabiki to do what every native of the area knew to do when a fight was about to commence, run far far away.  
  
As in a mockery of manners, the seemingly spectral figure began to bow, and as doing so, diagnal warpings in the air glided down his front as if the very space the seared through was torn. Freeman returned from his bow and the silken shrowd he was wearing slid from his body like shadows surrendering to something even darker than themselves.   
  
"Hello.... boy." 


	9. Redline Fury

Mark of the Wolves/ Ranma 1/2  
Quiet Control Chapter 9  
"Redline Fury"  
  
  
Freeman precariously licked his lips, almost as if tasting the blood that he presumed would fall upon them quite soon, as he walked closer to Rock then stopped. For a few seconds neither moved, awaiting the other to strike. Rock knew that it would be inevitable for the fight, no matter how long he stalled, and he knew that the oily carrot haired demon in front of him expected Rock to make the move, so with a shrug, Rock thought to himself, "why disappoint?"  
  
Almost beyond Freeman's sense, Rock dashed at him, using his own ki to power his speed, and creating the illusion of a multicolored streak aimed towards him. In reaction, Freeman slashed in a wide arc horizontally with his right hand at the point he anticipated it's target would lie, his claws leaving a blood red ki trail, as if the very reality was scarred in it's swath.   
  
The blond haired fighter lept at the last moment over the slash and spun into the air before thrusting towards Freeman with a ki enveloped fist. Freeman pulled to his left back and out of the way of the attack, noting from the sound of pulverized concrete that the blow was intending to finish the match.   
  
Throwing a back kick behind him, Freeman hoped to catch the recovering Rock and stagger him a bit so he could disable him in a more grevious manner. Unfortunatly for him, Rock made sure not to commit so much to his first attack as it appeared, having aimed his fist for what looked like a very weak section of concrete to give it the illusion of power. Rock stayed low and bent backwards toward Freeman's kick, allowing it to skim over his nose by mere millimeters, continuing the motion, Rock twisted his body and lashed out at Freeman's legs, and with the grace of a bullwhip in whiplash, snapped Freeman into the air.   
  
The Grim fighter instinctively anticipated the attack, and in defiance of the inertia behind the toss, bent foward and grabbed Rock's wrist before he let go, and converted the momentum to his own advantage, as he pulled the Blond haired fighter into the air to toss him away. Rock cursed his own limits as his mind calculated his next move. Twisting in Freeman's grip, Rock locked his own hand onto Freeman's wrist, arresting his flight and snapping both fighters towards each other like an old rubberband released from taunt. Rock brought up both his feet and planted them into Freeman's gut, this time not interested in keeping into the airgame of toss the opponent, Rock landed onto his back, rolling with the fall and kicking Freeman back into the air behind him. With a deadly grace, Freeman twisted and summersaulted onto his feet, still facing Rock, by this time he was grinning estatically, for the boy had learned a few new tricks, it was going to be an interesting fight for him yet.....  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
"IDIOT! Why is it everytime I try to be nice and make a simple suggestion, you have to be such a JERK!" Akane bellowed as she launched another piece of heavy furniture after Ranma, who simply dodged it and made a face back.   
  
"Probably because your suggestions are about as good as your cook'n's edible, and at least I've *survived* your cooking."   
  
The new taunt gave Akane fuel to her anger, and a nice little burst of adrenaline, as well as suddenly perfect aim, which in turn gave Ranma a good sized headache as the stone garden lantern crashed into him.  
  
"I....te" Ranma squeaked out as Nabiki came bursting through the front door, not even bothering to remove her shoes, panting as if she had been on a maraton run, and a look of uncharactoristic fear plastered on her face.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
There were few opponents Rock thrived against, and some that he would disparage against. Even fewer could ever be both as the battle before him filled Rock with anxiousness, in continuing the fight, and finishing it.   
  
After trading attacks in a tight and deadly game of chess, neither still managed to gain a clear advantage on the other. By now their attacks were reaching a fever pitch to where one blow would quite easily win this debaucle.   
  
Rock back handsprung away from the three hit rush that Freeman delivered, each strike seeming to be drawing blood from the very air, proof of the attacks effectiveness. After gaining a safe distance, but not full footing, Rock released his Galefist attack at his opponent, hoping to bide him some time.   
  
Freeman would not be denied his advantage as he rushed foward and drew his claws down across him, leaving an "X" slash in the front of him that rent Rock's Reppuken harmless. Continuing foward, the red headed creature drew his right hand back ready to disembowl what was before it's master.   
  
In a near impossible split second. Rock managed to stalemate the attack by shifting his right foot back while he was still falling back, and while gritting his teeth as he felt a slight pop in his ankle. He then pushed foward towards Freeman which allowed him to bring left forearm down to block the slash aimed for his gut, robbing it of it's momentum which he used to fuel his own counterattack.   
  
Before Freeman could even bat an eye, Rock spun to his right as he used his left leg to push himself off the ground. Rock's right leg came around and down towards Freeman's head at a diagonal Ax Kick. Rock had not been able to recover his balance as he dropped onto his right foot at an angle, causing the burning sensation in it's ankle to become an agonizing inferno, of course the gambit was not without it's benefit as he saw Freeman rise slowly and reset his jaw.  
  
"Boy, this was supposed to be fun and games," commented Freeman in British accented English, "and now you gone and upset your ol' pal." Freeman turned to spit a blot of blood that had pooled in his mouth so he could speak further, "that's okay, Ol' Freeman still gets to finish the game."   
  
Freeman rushed at Rock, both knowing that the blond haired fighter was now going to be running slower than before due to his ankle, and launched into a flurry off attacks that almost seemed to paint the air crimson in their abundance. Rock tried in earnest to keep as far as he could from the curved wall of blood red razor thin ki, but could only desperatly manage to stay an inch or two from in front of it. In a fit of inspiration, Rock took less than a split second to remove his jacket and toss it into Freeman's barrage.  
  
Freeman growled as the leather jacket managed to block his view a bit and slow his attacks down, as the tough leather made it difficult to tear through, though only needing a couple of seconds to remove the obstacle and reduce it to leather boot laces, it was all the time Rock needed to disappear from in front of Freeman's vision. On a hunch, the orange haired man looked up to see an inverted Rock Howard, smirking triumphantly, aiming his left foot's toe down for a knockout blow towards the crown of his opponent's head....  
  
Rock landed after missing, cursing himself for being so cocky as he heard the tell-tale growl of Freeman concentrating for his final attack...  
  
The concrete wall they were fighting along was slashed in half horizontally for 8 meters down while the sidewalk before Freeman suddenly grew a new ditch about a foot wide that also went 8 meters down.   
  
Freeman only clicked his tongue in irritation for the interferance on behalf of Rock before commenting, "This was a one on one game, boy, shoulda told your pallies that it woulda been healtier they not interfere."  
  
"I appreciate the assist, Rock commented as he had his left arm hooked around the redheads waist while Ranma's right arm was hooked under Rock's right armpit around his back, "I already know that you will not listen to me and let me handle this myself; so just try not to stay at arm's range with him, either stay out of range or stay well tight against him."   
  
Ranma only nodded in confirmation as they both landed. Ranma being the bull headed redhead she was(hey, when have you ever known a redhead to not be bull headed?), rushed for the attack. Before Rock could join him, he felt a femenine hand catch his shoulder.  
  
"Nabiki, it is not safe for you to be here right now," stated Rock almost casually. Nabiki's retort, was uncharactoristically uncasual, lacking any sardonic or sarcastic tones, "and it's not safe for you either, Ranma told me you hurt your ankle, just let him handle it, Ranma can handle anything."   
  
Rock's pride stung a bit from hearing her favor Ranma over him at the moment, but as he turned towards Ranma to see him battle Freeman, Rock noted the thin slashes Ranma's already gained. Shaking his head, Rock turned to glance at Nabiki to see her face in stone, yet with pleading eyes. With a sigh he ran towards Ranma and Freeman to begin the fight in earnest.... 


End file.
